Help Please REI Tent from the USA
 

Hi can any one help i have an American Tent from REI stores its a GEO Mountain 3 which i bought in 2003 in the REI store in Austin Texas, i've used it all through North and South America, Australia Asia and now in the cold and wet of northern Finland the fly sheet has ripped and its letting in the rain and snow, not fun. I've been on to REI but they have told me that the tent is now to old to get a replacement fly sheet, so my question is dose any one know some one with the same tent that they no longer need or use and would be happy to sell. Many thanks Skip

Is it beyond repair because there are plenty of companies around that will repair tents and awnings.

REI Tents
 

They sort of have a lifetime guarantee on stuff. I recently took my REI tent back to them after eight years of hard bike travel, it had done very well and I had no complaints, but the zip had broken and so had the bit that holds the poles together- I basically was given $150 towards another tent.

Previously I also had repairs (ripped fly after a hurricane in Ireland of all places) done to it in the UK free under their warranty.
where are you now?
Good luck

Fly sheets take the brunt of UV exposure, therefore the brunt of UV degradation....which is probably why your flysheet ripped. If the fabric is weak, no amount of repair is going to save it because it'll merely rip again promptly, probably during the next wind, rain and snow event.

This can happen after one long season's use in the arctic or at high altitude if your tent stays up day after day, so it's a real issue after steady use for several seasons, particularly if you've spent time in mountains or the subarctic.

If you're lucky the fly still has enough life left in it for repairs to hold, but I'd be dubious and prepare to buy a new tent. Since repairs tend to be expensive, and in light of the fact that they will probably not last long, you might think about doing them yourself instead of hiring out. This can mean accessing the proper material and a sewing machine, or it can involve some duct tape and take five minutes after breakfast. Either way, you'll want to use something waterproof and seamseal any needle penetrations thoroughly.

If you can't spot UV degradation yourself, find a reputable repair shop and, if they say it's not worth bothering, believe them.

Good luck!

Mark

If you are in love with the tent, toss the fly sheet and rig a tarp over it instead. Otherwise I think its time for a new tent, can't really complain about something that lasts most of a decade of use and abuse.